Motor vehicle



M 12, 1929. Ma N 1,704,799

MOTOR VEHICLE Filed April 26, 1920 'llO Patented Mar. 12, 1929.

' UNITED STAT GEORGE L. Mcc m, or DETROIT, VMIICHIIGANY, Assienoa ToPACKARD MOTOR CAR com- PANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A-CORPOBATION orMICHIGAN. I

MOTOR VEHICLE.

' w Application mea rn 26, 1920. Serial No. 376,849. I

This invention relates to lever locking mechanism for preventing theoperative movement of levers and ismore particularly adapted forlockingthe control levers of motor vehicles.

I movement of the lever on itsfulcrum The device which will bespecifically ole-- scribed is designed particularly for use inconnection with the type of lever adapted for lateral movement on its,pivot for selective engagement with the shiftable elements and formovement at right angles to the line of selective movement for operatingthe shiftable 'elements to throw the transmission gearing into and outof mesh. The locking mechanism has for its function to retain theshifting lever in neutral position and to prevent the lateral therebypreventing the shifting of the transmission gear's'and in this waypreventing the unauthorizeduse or'theft of the motor vehicle. I Theobject of the inventionfis-t'o provide a locking mechanism strong inconstruction and will efiectively lock the control lever againstoperative move- Further objects of the invention will appear from thespecification taken in connection withthe drawings which form a partthereof, and in which:

1 shows the lever and lockinginechanism inside elevation, the casing'orlever mounting being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view 'takensubstantial- 1y at rightangles to Fig.1 but showing the lever in full lines in neutral position; and.

I Fig. 3 is'a fragmentary view of the lever and locking bolt showing thebolt in looking Position. I

The the bracket or casing,,whieh may be secured in any. suitable mannerto the transmission" case or housing forthe transmission gearing andthis bracket or casing is preferably made 12 forms a cap'ior'cover forthe casing and is threaded onto the upper portion of the lower section11. The lever is formed with a spheri ;ca'l bear ng port on 13, adownwardly extending arm 14, which is adapted to engage and.

which is simple I and I shorter dimension of the bore v dimension of thebore beinggreatei'. than the lever control mechanism is mounted inoperatethe' shiftable elements and aniupwardlynextending handle 15. Thespherical portion 13 is seated in a pair of spherical bearlngs 16, 17,the bearing16 being formed on the cap or cover 12 and the bearing 17bemounted in the recess 18 and forces the member 17 into engagement withthe lower portion of the sphericalbearing 13. VA shield 20 is secured tothe lower end of the handle 15 and covers the upper portion of the cap12.

As above stated, the locking mechanism is adaptedto retain the shiftinglever in neutral position by preventing the lateral shiftmg of the leveron its fulcrum into selective engagement with theshi itable" elements.

This locking mechanism comprises a bolt 21, which is rotatably mountedat one end in a as PATENT OFFI -CE'.

ing slidably-mounted in a recess 18 formed in 1 bushing 22 carried bythe section :11 of the! casing 10; and at itsopposite end is enlarged.

asshown at 28, the enlarged portion being ro- 1 tatably mounted inabearing 24 formed in I the opposite side of section 11 of the casing 10.The arm 14 of the lever is provided with a transversely extendingopening orsbore 25 through which the bolt extends, this bore be ingoblong in shape as illustrated in Fig.2. The portion '26 ofthe bolt 21which is disposed within the transverse bore of the arm 14: is'alsoenlarged and made oblong inshape, the longer dimension of the bolt beingsub I stantially equal toor slightly less than :the

and the longer,

5-2 dimension of the bolt for reasons hereinafter, stated. 1 I

A suitable lock is provided for lockingand I unlocking-the lever and inthe embodiment of the invention: illustrated this look is mounted in ascrew threaded plug 27'carried by the out wardly extending I on thesection 11 of the casing 10. Abarrel29 is rotatablymounted in the plug27; and extends through the plug, engaging the outer end of aperturedboss 28, formed the enlarged portion 23 of the-bolt 21 shown at 30.. 'Itwill be understood-that the usual locking pins or tumblers engage thebarrel29, these tumblers being releasable by means of a prises fewparts, and

key in a manner Well known in the art. A set screw 31 engages andprevents the rotation of the plug 27. V

The locking mechanism just described operates as follows:

in order to operate the gear shitting mecha' ism, it is necessary firstto shitt the lever laterally and then to shift the lever at right anglesto the first direction oi movement in order to move the shirtable"elements. in order to lock the lever control and thereby prevent thelateral shii' ting of the lever from neutral position, is inserted inthe bar- Tel 29 and the lock bolt 21 is rotated to a posi-' tic-n inwhich portion 26 oi the bolt Will be disposed err svlise oi the oblongopening 25 formed in the lever arm let. When the bolt has been rotatedin this manner the ends of the enlarged portion of the bolt Will reventlateral: movementof the lever,.there y preventing the movement of thelever from neutral position. When the operator desires to startthe-motor vehicle and to operate the transmission gearing, the bolt 21is rotated at right angles to the position just-described or to theposition shown-in Fig; 2. lVhcn the boltis in this positionthe levermaybe shifted laterallya sufficient distance to engage the shiftableelements oi the transmission mechanism, thereby. permitting theshittingoi the ears and the operation of the vehicle. ltwill be understcod thatthere is sufiicient distance between the ends of the enlarged portion 26of the bolt and the ends oi" the oblong bore formed on the lever arms-i-;to permit the movement oft-this lever a suilieicnt distance to shiftthe gearsinthe manner desired When the lever has been shifted laterallyinto en gagcment with the shittable elements.- his shifted position ofthe lever is shown in dotted lines in Fig; 1;

' V 'Fromthe above descriptionitwill be seen that I have provided aconstruction of lockiiig'inechanism for control levers Which is simpleand strong in constructiom'and comreover, a construction which willeffectively lock the control lever against operative movement;

While one specific embodiment of the invcntion has been illustrated anddescribed,- it will bcunderstood'that the invention is not limited tothe iiarticular form ot-tlie invention shown but that changes in theconstruction and arrangementot the various parts may be made Withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention as expressedinthefollowing claims. p I I Having thus described my invention, What Iclaim and "desire to secure by Letters Patent is: V a i 1. Lockingmechanism comprising in combination a casing, a lever fulcrumed thereinand having a transverse bore located at one side of itsiulcrum, alocking bolt rotatably mounted in said casing and extending through saidbore, said bore being oblong in shape, and said bolt having an enlargedoblong portion disposed in said bore, one dimen-' sion of the oblongportion of said bolt being substantially equal to one dimension of thetransverse bore in said lever.

2. Locking mechanism'comprisingin combination a casing, a leverhilcrumedtherein, andhaving'ajtransverse boreobl'ong in shape, al'ockiiigbol't rotatably mounted in said casingand extending throughsaid bore, said bolt" having an oblong portion disposed in the bore. ofthe said lever, one dimension of the oblong portion of the said boltbeing substantially equal toone' dimension of the oblong bore of thesaid lever and being less than the other'dimension of the oblong bore inthe lever. r

3. Locking mechanism comprising, in combination, a casing, a level"fulcrumed therein for oscillatory movement in two planes and having atransverse opening? extending through. it located at one side ofthefulcrum, a locking bolt mounted in saidcasing and extending through saidopening and cooperating therewith to lock. the lever against movement inoneplane When the boltis in oneposition and-to permit free movement ofthe lever Whenthe bolt is in another position, and rotatable meansengaging the bolt for moving it from one of said. positions to rotatablenon-circular membcrpositioned in the bore. M 6..A locking mechanismcomprising, in combination, a casing, a lever fulcrumed therein foroscillatory movement in two planes and provided with atransverse noncircular bore located at one side of its fulcrum and a rotatable memberhaving a noncircular portion positioned in the bore for locking thelever :against movement in one plane.

7. A loclring mechanism comprising, in combination, a bracket, a. leverfulcrumed therein for oscillatory movement in a plurality of planes andprovided at one sidejof its fulcrum With a transverse non-circular boreand a rotatable member extending through said bore having a non-circularportion adapted for cooperation With the DOD-01ml? ment in one of theplanes.

lar bore for locking said levera'gainst move also combination, a casing,a lever fulcrumed therein for oscillatory movement in two planes atright angles With respect to each other and provided at one side of itsfulcrum with a transverse rectangular bore, a rotatable lock boltmounted in the casing and eX- tending through thebore, a rectangularportion on the lock bolt'adapted for cooperation with the rectangularbore in the lever and means for rotating the lock bolt for engagving anddisengaging the respective ends of the rectangular portion with thesides of the rectangular bore to lock and unlock the lever againstmovement in one of the planes. f

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

GEORGE L. MCCAIN.

